Device for taking up heater cord slack



1*- 2 1934- A. GATTINGER 1,974,811

FOR TAKING UP HEATER CORD SLACK Filed Nov. 7, 1953 INVENTOR.

I BO

Patented Sept. 25, 1934 Price earner Fliice Gattinger, New York, N. ,Y.

Application November '7, 1933, Serial No. 7,384

5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in devi'cesfor taking up the slack of electrical cords attachedto irons, so that the irons can be operated freely, without danger of burning the cords,

H causing short circuits and possible fires.

Oneoi the objects of the invention is the pro-- visionv of an attachment which will maintain a slight pull upon the heater cord of an electrical iron, so as to withdraw slack cord from the path of the electrical iron when it is being pushed back and forth-over the ironing table.

A more particular object of the invention is the provision of an attachment, which may be clamped to an ironing table or board, and the slack heater cord of an electrical iron, will be caused to roll over friction reducing devices, out or" the way of the movement of the electrical iron.

With the above and other objects in View the invention consists in certain new and useful con-- structions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, clearly described in the specification following, and clearly illustrated in the drawing accompanying, in which:

Fig. l is a side view of an ironing table or board provided with the improved device.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through a pair of cooperating rollers.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the gravity slide and lower roller.

Fig. 4 is a side View, on an enlarged scale, of the table or board clamp, and the pendant rod connected therewith.

Referring to the accompanying drawing in which the invention is illustrated, 5 designates a conventional ironing board, on which the electrical iron 6 is adapted to be operated.

In the normal movement of the electrical heated iron the heater cord 7, which carries the current wires in an asbestos covering, is caused to loop upon the top of the ironing board, and this frequently brings the hot base of the electrical iron in contact with the eater cord. If the operator is not extremely careful the iron will gradually wear through protective covering of the heater cord, and by causing a short ircuit of the electrical current wires which become exposed through the worn cove may start a fire or produce serious bodily damage to the operator.

The amount of work which an operator may accomplish in a given time would be increased by having an entirely clear ironing board, and better work would be done, if the operator was confident that the heater cord would never be in. his or her way.

The present invention includes a clamp con- (Cl. Edd- 335) sisting of the upper jaw 8, and the lower movable jaw 9, which carries the clamping screw 1o. To the upper jaw 3 a frame is fixed, which includes the bracket arms 11 and 12, spaced apart to receive the lower guide roller 13 and the upper guide roller 14. The lower roller is formed with a cord receiving groove 15, and the upper roller is formed with a similar groove 16, the grooves being in normal registration with each other, and each being located midway of its ends. The upper roller is formed with a circular guard fiange 1.7 on one end thereof, and a similar fiange 18 on tie other end thereof, the two fianges engaging recesses 17a and 18a formed on the ends of the lower roller,

The two rollers are supported in angular relation to the upper jaw of the clamp, so that they will project endwise oi ironing table or board. The clamp carries a pendant rod 19, which is fitted in a sleeve 20 formed on the upper jaw, 15 and carries a stop 21 on its lower end. On this rod a weighted slide 22 is mounted to move, and this slide is equipped with opposed bearings 23 which support the lower grooved roller 24, for free rotation thereon. A coil. spring 25, havinggo but moderate tension, is mounted on the rod is and engages he clamp at its upper end and the slide 22 at its lower end, and tends to force this slide downwardly on the rod.

The heater cord is extended between the upper set of rollers, so that it will have frictional contacting engagement with the grooves of the two rollers, and be thus protected from excessive frictional or pressure contact with either or both rollers. The cord is then extended around the p lower roller, and connected to the usual outlet.

When the electrical iron is shifted on the ironing board away from the clamp, the tension on the heater cord. will raise the slide 22, thus placing the spring under compression. When the electrical iron is shifted in the opposite direction} the spring will expand, and at the same time the weight of the slide will produce a pulling effort on the slack cord, which will cause it to slide on the ironing board, out of the path of the hot iron. The resistance of the spring the weight of the slide are insignificant, being just suificient to pull the heater cord out or" the way.

Each roller is mounted in place by means of a split shaft or cotter pin 26, by means of which 105 the roller may be removed, to permit of the with drawal of the heater cord. l

.Having described my invention I claim as newz- 1. A device for taking up the slack of electrical .119

heater cords, consisting of a clamp attachable to an ironing board, bracket arms carried by the clamp, a pair of grooved rollers mounted to freely turn on the bracket arms and supported thereby in angular relation to the clamp, a rod depending from the clamp and provided with a terminal stop on its lower end, a slide mounted to move vertically on the rod and provided with a grooved roller to receive the loop of the heater cord, and an expansion spring arranged on the rod and exerting tension against the slide to pull an engaged heater cord loop downwardly, said heater cord being adapted to move freely in frictional contacting engagement with the pair of grooved rollers, and one of said pair of rollers having end flanges to engage the other roller to guard the heater cord against displacement.

2. A device for taking up the slack of electrical heater cords comprising a clamp attachable to an ironing board, an upper cord guide supported by said clamp to project above the board, a rod also supported on said clamp and depending therefrom below the board, a lower cord guide mounted for sliding movement longitudinally on said rod, and means for yieldably depressing the lower cord guide to take up the slack or" a cord passed from an outlet through the lower and upper cord guides in succession and thence to an iron on the board.

3. A device for taking up the slack or" electrical heater cords comprising a clamp attachable to an ironing board, an upper cord guide supported by said clamp to project above the board, a rod also supported on said clamp and depending therefrom below the board, a lower cord guide mounted for sliding movement longitudinally on said rod, and a coil spring embracing said rod between the clamp and the lower guide to take up the slack of a cord passed from an outlet through the lower and upper cord guides in succession and thence to an iron on the board.

4. A device for taking up the slack of electrical heater cords comprising a guide, means for clamping said guide to an ironing board, a rod connected to the clamping means and depending therefrom, a second guide slidable on said rod, and a spring mounted on the rod between said clamping means and the second guide to impel said second guide in a downward direction.

5. In an as ibly of the character described, an upper directional roller rovided with means for supportin it above an ironing board, a roller g from the board below the upper roller, a lower directional roller on the roller guide for longitudinal and a spring for yieldably r directional roller, whereby ectionai roller is adapted to take directional mounted movement and upper rollers in succession and ALICE GATTINGER.

ack of a cord passed from an outlet over 

